title: Systemic infection of Mice with Listeria monocytogenes to characterize host immune responses.
abstract: Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive facultative intracellular bacterium that is widely used to characterize bacterial pathogenesis and host immunity. Here, we describe a set of basic methods and techniques to infect mice with L. monocytogenes, measure bacterial load in tissues, and analyze immune cell subsets responding to infection in the spleen and liver. In addition, a specialized method for immune cell depletion is incorporated within the overall protocol, along with suggestions at various points in the protocol for minimizing experimental variability in mouse infection studies using L. monocytogenes. Finally, we highlight a number of experimental strategies for which L. monocytogenes has facilitated research into host immune responses and bacterial pathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Immunology and Diabetes, St Vincent's Institute of Medical Research, Fitzroy, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Strugnell
authors.forename: Odilia L
authors.initials: OL
authors.lastname: Wijburg
authors.forename: Thomas C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Brodnicki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D058491:Bacterial Load; D007110:Immunity, Active; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D008088:Listeriosis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000382:microbiology; D051379:Mice; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology